How To Enjoy Notting Hill Carnival 2012

Europe's largest street festival has sneaked up on London this year. Not only have we been a bit distracted with all things sporting, there's been very little news from Carnival and not a lot of information available about it. But it's happening this weekend, so:

Sunday 26 August is children's day with smaller floats and costume awards. Bank Holiday Monday 27 August is for grown ups with the main Carnival procession. Carnival bands will take to the roads from around 9am each day and the Carnival parade should complete by about 7pm.

There's a free Notting Hill Carnival app (for iPhone and Android) which tells you where the Sound Systems are, what genres of music they will be playing and how to get to them. It gives you the carnival route and will help you locate food stalls, ambulance services and toilets.

Never been to Carnival? We asked our Facebook community for their tips on how to enjoy it. About 50% of responses said to avoid it, but others who shared experiences and offered advice were passionate fans of the event. Read all comments here. Here are some of the more useful ones:

Kerry Jean Lister: Get there early, don't wear stupid shoes, take a hipflask rather than drinking beer (or you'll spend most of your time in a loo queue) and earplugs are essential if you're going to Aba Shanti...

Carolyn Redfern: Take your own food & drink if you are watching the pennies. Also take as little valuables with you as possible.

Oliver Reynolds Gili: Don't bring a backpack, because frankly it's annoying to be accidentally shoved by backpacks, and because it's probably going to be unzipped by unscrupulous partygoers as you make your way through the very packed choke points.

Den Harrow: Camilla's Crucial Roti-hut on Westbourne Park Road.

Riina Sulonen: Start from Westbourne Grove and do a round trip via Portobello Road and Golborne Road back to Westbourne Park. Wear a smile, sensible shoes, eat, drink and enjoy yourselfl. Use residents' portaloos - great one last year was in Oxford/Cambridge Gardens that was cleaned after each use and even smelled good. I'm definitely going and very excited about the carnival :)

Kat Heath: Carry water and be prepared to queue for the porta loo.

Robert Ander Lugg: Take a cool bag with your own booze, get in the queue for the loos as soon as you think you might need it and don't wait until busting, enjoy a bit of mas (the procession) but ultimately head to Kensal as most of the best sound-systems are just off Kensal Road and environs.

Sara Evans: Stay up the north end - good times and sancho panza are the best!

Peter Benjamin: Its SanchoPanza and GoodTimes with mates, beers and a leaky poncho for me, as come rain or shine, life is for living and it doesn't get much better than receiving an invite from a proud west London community to join them and party together as one.

If your shoes allow it, put your Oyster card and a tenner in your shoe when you arrive. That way if your bag/wallet gets nicked at least you can still get home.

Alex Woodcraft

Enjoy the parade on Monday from Westbourne Park Road, costumes still good from the judging point, low crowds and since they got rid of the barriers it is easy to get to the toilet.

Avoid the sound systems if you don't want to be in a crush.

pete

Do not bring children's buggys on a Monday. How infuriating is it to have a crowd of people and someone has a massive buggy trying to negotiate the crowds with it. Children's day is on Sunday.Do not bring dogs on leads. Unless your dog knows how to dance, why are you taking it to carnival.The carnival is safe as long as you know the area, are a Londoner and know which roads to go down. The polics always block many roads, but if you know which ones, you will not get caught up in the crowds created by these road blockages.The best way to enjoy carnival is to join a band so you can walk on the road unrestricted and don't get confused and caught by the police road blocks!